Showing 21 - 30 of 55
Pride and khoi
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 29/05/2016
» When driving around Bangkok you'll notice long stretches of ornamental plants; dense, hedge-like bushes cut into different decorative shapes. The straight twigs and leaves at the end of the branches might be shaped into spheres, and sometimes the entire plant has been sculpted into an animal form, elephants being especially popular. Often, a row of the dense plants will be planted next to a wall to create a parallel, vegetable fence.
Shredof decency
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 01/05/2016
» Coconut cream is at the heart of Thailand's cuisine, both savoury dishes and desserts. It would be hard to estimate how much of it has been used by Thai cooks over the centuries, but it would probably be safe to say the total amount, from the time its use first began until the present, would fill the national swimming pool many times over.
An oasis under threat
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 28/02/2016
» Last week in this column I discussed Thailand’s system of managing tourism, one that is causing the degradation and destruction of many old communities and valuable historical sites. I suggested a number of reasons for this situation, some concerned with the tourists themselves, some with investors, some with the government offices that oversee tourism and some with an ongoing deterioration in the communities. This week I would like to look at what is happening in one riverside community in Chanthaburi, a very old one that is a new member among the ranks of the victims of Thailand’s destructive tourism policies and practices.
Rravel Blight
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 21/02/2016
» This may be taking a dim view of things, but our approach to promoting tourism here seems to be geared toward travellers who like things quick and easy. This is the way things are working now, and it has caused the deterioration of many of our tourism sites.
The case of the shrinking mussels
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 14/02/2016
» I’d lived in Bangkok for my entire life and when I moved out of the city I counted my blessings. How lucky I was now to escape the traffic. How fortunate I was not to have to wade through water when it rained. How nice to no longer get lost on new roads that had suddenly appeared.
The old and the new
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 24/01/2016
» When you read old Thai cookbooks, you will find certain very specific descriptive words often appear with the instructions on how to prepare a dish. These can be very interesting, as they give an insight into how cooks of the past chose the ingredients and techniques that would ensure the dish would turn out at its best.
Tap jak of all trades
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 18/10/2015
» In the past, this column has taken a look at many of the plants found in Thailand’s fields and kitchen gardens — the trees that bear coconuts, bananas, tamarind, mangoes and papayas and smaller plants grown close to the house, like lime trees, chillies, kaffir lime, taling pling, galangal, ginger, lemon grass and different kinds of basil.
A small fish with a long history
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 30/08/2015
» Pla salit (gourami) is a freshwater fish that Thais have relished for centuries. It is not very big, but its great virtue as a food fish far outstrips its modest size.
Mixing things up
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 23/08/2015
» In today’s column I’d like to visit an exceptional restaurant serving Chinese-Thai food. It is located in an ordinary-looking shophouse with the cooking area out in front. Customers are seated in an air-conditioned room, where they are presented with a menu with a long list of dishes. Those who know it will recall it used to be located behind the sports arena at Pathumwan but has now moved to Lat Ya Road in Thon Buri.
Save our small shops
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 26/07/2015
» Supermarkets and small retailers have been on hostile terms ever since supermarkets first showed up here. If a supermarket opens in the provinces or in some amphoe, warlike rumblings can be heard.